SERVICE: SUNDAYS AT 8:00AM & 11:30AM

PASTOR'S UPDATE OCTOBER 4, 2024

Hey there, Friendship family! 

I greet you today with a heart full of gratitude and a testimony of God’s grace and mercy. As many of you know, I’ve just returned from my travels to Ghana and Tanzania with World Vision, and I can truly say that the grace of God was evident every step of the way. One of the most impactful moments for me was witnessing the simplicity and contentment of the people in Tanzania. Their desire to have enough—just enough—and not excess was a powerful reminder of God’s provision and our call to be stewards of what He’s given us. Their faith and joy deeply moved me, giving me a fresh perspective on embracing God’s mercy in our lives.

I want to take a moment to thank you for your invaluable support and prayers during this trip. Your partnership with World Vision and your prayers were instrumental in making this mission a success. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share more about my experience and how we, as a church, can continue supporting this incredible mission.

This past Sunday, September 29th, we celebrated my 11th year of pastoral leadership here at Friendship, and I cannot fully express how grateful I am for all of you. It was a day filled with joy and reflection, a testament to our shared journey. We celebrated not only our time together but also the significant progress of the construction of our new Fellowship Hall, Event Center, and Multi- Purpose Space. With God's grace, we look forward to the project’s
completion in March of 2025, and I can’t wait to see how these new spaces will enhance our church community.

We also celebrated our partnership with World Vision through the CHOSEN campaign on Reveal Sunday. To those of you who have taken the step to sponsor children in Tanzania, thank you! It is a great work, and I am humbled to serve as your pastor. A special thanks to our Guardian Angels, the Friendship staff, our leaders, and everyone who made last Sunday so fantastic. I was deeply encouraged, and I hope you were too.

Now, we are in the final quarter of the year, and October is a busy month! Here are a few important announcements to keep in mind:

Now let's look at the announcements.
Join me and our prayer ministry this evening, October 4th, at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary for our last in-person prayer gathering of the year. Our theme for the month of October is Embracing Unity in Christ. I eagerly anticipate our time together in unity as a body of believers to pray and praise. I believe God for 100 people to join us in prayer, so let’s make it happen!
KINGDOM WIVES
All married and engaged ladies are welcome and encouraged to join us at 9 am on Saturday, October 5 as we continue our journey in the book, A Wife After God's Own Heart, by Elizabeth George. Our focus for this session is Serving the Lord. Sisters, grab your coffee, tea, or morning beverage of choice and join us online for great discussion and teaching. If you are attending the Leadership Meeting, you may join us in-person in the Welcome Center in the Carrington Building. To attend the class virtually: CLICK HERE
CHURCH LEADERSHIP MEETING - SATURDAY
Calling all ministry leaders! We have a leadership meeting this Saturday, October 5th, at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary. I have several updates to share, and I need your presence and participation.
COMMUNION SUNDAY
This Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, and we will be celebrating communion together. If you will worship from home, check out the communion instructions so you can observe communion virtually CLICK HERE
VOTER EDUCATION SERIES
The last session will be on Tuesday, October 8th.  We strive for these virtual sessions on Zoom to be  non-partisan and  to not support or oppose candidates for political office or parties. Our goal is that these do provide the perfect opportunity to provide information on issues that are important to our faith community.  

SIDE-BY-SIDE COUPLES MINISTRY - OCTOBER 11
Married, Engaged, and Seriously Dating couples are invited to join the Side-by-Side Couples Ministry for our monthly class on Friday, October 11th at 7 p.m. We will gather via Zoom and continue our current series titled, Building a Better Marriage by Pastor Earl McClellan and his wife, Oneka. The topic for September is Serve Each Other. To join the class: CLICK HERE
YOUNG ADULT BIBLE STUDY
Young adults, we’re launching The Forge on Thursday, October 17th, at 7:30 p.m. This five-week Bible study, based on a recent movie, will explore what it means to make disciples and find an intimate relationship with God. There is a book fee of $5.00.  The class will be facilitated by Pastor Jaron Singley and Rev. Keturah Williams.  To register,  CLICK HERE.
W.O.R.D (Women of Radiant Design) CONFERENCE
Kingdom Women, mark your calendars and plan on joining us as we celebrate 32 Years of W.O.R.D (Women of Radiant Design) Conference!   
Date:        Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time:        9:00 A.M.
Cost:        $75.00 (conference materials and lunch included)
Location:  Friendship Baptist Church

The theme for this year’s conference is Kingdom Women: Pressing In When You're Waiting, Wanting, and Restless for More.  We are excited and waiting with tip-toe anticipation as our special guests and beloved sisters in ministry join us with a Timely Word and Timely Teaching. To register for the conference,  CLICK HERE.
WOMEN'S DAY - PRAISE-IN-PINK
And That's Not All!  Be sure to join us on Sunday, October 20th as we celebrate Women’s Day-Praise In Pink at Friendship.  Our guest speaker, Pastor Connie Jackson, will deliver a powerful Word at the 8:00 and 11:30 a.m. services. We invite Friendship members and our guests to wear something pink in honor of breast cancer survivors and to honor the memory of those we lost to the disease. Ladies, you don’t want to miss out on this Wonderful Women’s Weekend!

WOMEN'S DAY CHOIR REHEARSALS
Choir rehearsals will be at Friendship Baptist Church in the Sanctuary Choir Stand.
The dates are:
  • Wednesday, October 2nd, 7:30 PM
  • Wednesday, October 9th, 8:00 PM
  • Wednesday, October 16th, 7:30 PM 

SINGLES BIBLE STUDY
All singles are invited to join our Fall Bible Study on the book of Jonah! This 7-week class will be held online on Thursdays at 7 p.m., starting October 24th. While Jonah is best known for encountering a large fish, the book is about so much more. It’s about God’s grace, compassion, and love—even toward wayward people—and His commitment to spreading His message worldwide through people like you and me. Facilitators will be Sis. Tammi Gray and Rev. Terry Abercrombie. To register: CLICK HERE.

HERMENEUTICS BIBLE STUDY
Do you want to enhance your ability to interpret the Bible? If so, you're encouraged to join the Hermeneutics class. Hermeneutics is the method of interpreting the meaning of Biblical text or Scriptures. This 12-week course starts on Saturday, October 26th at 11 a.m. and will be held virtually. All adults are welcome to join us, even if you did not participate in part one of the class. Facilitator: Rev. Patrick Christian. To register: CLICK HERE
Our Harvest Festival is on Thursday, October 31st, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This will be a fun event for all ages with games, a cake walk, cotton candy, and more! Come out in costume. We encourage everyone to create or find a Bible-themed costume or character. Adults may NOT wear masks. We’ll also have a trunk-or-treat and a chili cook-off.

  1. Trunk or Treat - Participating vehicles will need to be parked in the designated area no later than 6:15 pm.  The parking lot team will help direct you to a spot. Open up and decorate your trunk or the back of your vehicle. There are some great trunk decorating ideas on the internet!! We encourage using a biblical theme. Please refrain from anything overly spooky or gory.  The winning car will be awarded a prize.
  2. Chili Cook-Off - Who will be crowned as this year's Chili King or Queen?  Contestants must pre-register; no walk-ups will be accepted for contest judgment. Contestants must sign-in at the registration upon arrival. Chili drop-off: by 7:00p.m.  Chili must be prepared in advance and will be transferred to pans provided by Friendship Harvest Fest Leadership. Chili must be warm upon arrival. Please, AVOID overly spicy chili.  The winning chef will be awarded a prize. To sign up for the Cook-Off, CLICK HERE
ANGEL TREE 2024
John 3:16 is all about Reconciliation! Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Ministry Program
creates a pathway to reconciliation between incarcerated parents and their children and families. Connection usually begins through “Angel Tree Christmas” giving incarcerated parents a way to provide gifts with personal messages to their children, delivered by caring, local volunteers. Once again, the Friendship Family has again we have the opportunity and are encouraged to include these families in our community and outreach efforts throughout the year through this amazing ministry program. Last year we helped with 22 children and would like to increase that number this year. If you are interested in participating this year please register via planning center. Sign-ups begin October 8, 2024.
S.A.L.T. HOLIDAY CANNING CLASS:
Back By Popular Demand YES WE CAN – Preserving Fall Fruits!  Join us on November 2nd from 9:00,am until Noon as our very own Sis. Sybella Patten shares her amazing experience and skills in teaching a "hands on" canning class.  Sis. Sybella, along with volunteers from the Orange County Master Food Preservers, will show us how to “can” two tasty fall recipes:  Apple Preserves and Cranberry Orange Chutney.  Apple Preserves is a quick and easy recipe to “put up” apples for the cool days later in the fall season.  And, just in time for the fall crop of cranberries available September – December, the Cranberry Orange Chutney recipe brings together the flavors of sweet-tart cranberries, the spicy taste of ginger and cinnamon, along with a zing of orange.  Attendees will take home one jar of each recipe.

This class is open to men and women but here's the things...we only have room for 20 class participants. Don't delay register HERE today!
Remembering Our Lost Loved Ones: 
We are once again presenting “Remembering Our Lost Loved Ones.” This year we will have a few additions to the service. First, the service will be held on the First Sunday of November, November 3rd, after the 11:30 a.m. service at 1:30pm. We will also have a short reception before the service for those attending. Given the amount of effort it takes to properly prepare for this event, we ask this year that only those of you who plan on attending the service send in a picture(s) of your loved ones.

We ask that you please consider the following;
  1. You must be present at the service
  2. Please send us the picture/pictures of your lost loved one(s) by Tuesday, October 15th. No late additions will be accepted after this deadline to prevent unintended exclusions of your loved ones from the presentation.
  3. Please include with your submission the following information:
    • The dates of their Sunrise & Sunset
    • Additionally, optional information may be submitted which includes;
      • Favorite scripture verse,
      • Short quote by another personality they liked
      • Frequent saying of their own etc.
You may e-mail Rev. Patrick Christian HERE.
Spirit of the Heart Health Fair & Symposium 2024
Our annual health fair is coming in the spirit of wholeness and healthy living. Mark your calendars for November 16th as we come together to take care of our temples through health education, screenings, activities, and equity awareness. We will have cooking demos, a health walk, and healthy fun for the kids.  This fair is open to all, so please share with family and friends. Please see the flier above and us the QR Code to register! More information to follow in coming weeks!
WEEKEND TO REMEMBER
You are invited to join Lady Karima and me for Weekend-to-Remember, a couples getaway with a purpose: oneness. Great marriages don't just happen, they take work. This retreat is designed to help couples grow together and avoid drifting apart.  This event takes place in San Diego, CA on November 22-24th and includes special rates and sessions for military couples. Family Life also provides married and engaged couples of Friendship a special discount on registration. Please use the code: wearefriendship at registration. For more information and to register, go HERE.
THANKSGIVING TURKEY GIVEAWAY 2024: 
Yes, It’s that time again. Friendship will be having our holiday Turkey Giveaway 2024. The
date is November 23, 2024 beginning at 11:00 am until 1:00 pm or to our supply runs out. As has been our policy in previous years the distribution is on a first come first serve basis and is open to the community at large.
60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION COMMEMORATIVE BOOK
Our 60th Anniversary Commemorative book is here. You can pick up your book this weekend or purchase one for only $75.00. Friendship, family, friends, and guests, we need you to support this great milestone. 
2024 CHRISTMAS GALA - DECEMBER 13
If you missed the last the last Christmas Gala Committee's $50 Gift Card Raffle, don't WORRY! Starting in October, everyone who purchases a Christmas Gala ticket will be entered into our next $50 Gift Card Raffle.  Use one of the following convenient ways to purchase your ticket:
1. Stop by the Christmas Gala table in the quad after each service
2. Visit the church website at www.wearefriendship.church/events
3. Scan the QR Code in the bulletin
4. Or stop by the church office

Join us on December 13th at the Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park, CA for an enchanting night of elegant dining and entertainment. The $75 ticket price is non-refundable but is transferable.

Installment payments are accepted. All tickets must be purchased and paid in full by November 24th. We look forward to seeing you there making your red carpet entrance!! To purchase your tickets, please scan the QR code on the flier or go HERE.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - PLAY/MUSICAL PRODUCTION
Our Music Ministry is currently working on a production for Christmas.  We anticipate a need for Production Volunteers.  Production volunteers provide general assistance with productions. They may assist with making sets and backdrops, paint, hang lights, procure costumes and props, and support rehearsals by prepping materials.  - it's a long list, and it's where most of the fun happens. There are countless opportunities to join the fun. There are countless opportunities to join the fun.  If you can assist in any way, please e-mail Sonya Griffin HERE.
YOUR VOTE MATTERS
We will have Voter Registration tables available in the quad on Sunday, October 6, October 13 and October 20.  Also, be on the lookout for some virtual election information sessions that will be held later this month where our own Deacon James Shirley and others will help us explore some of the issues that will be on our ballots this year.

FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
CONVERSATION STARTER WORKSHOP
We are promoting the Conversation Starters Workshop, which will be held at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Garden Grove. This two-session workshop helps families and individuals discuss their wishes for end-of-life care.
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
12301 Magnolia St, Garden Grove, CA
Please see the graphic/flier above for more information. Registration Required. Space is limited. Please contact Kellie Gonzalez @ kellie.gonzalez@hoag.org or 949-764-6037.
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS Orange County (NAMIOC)
Friendship is partnering with NAMI Orange County. NAMI Orange County is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of our community affected by mental illness. They strive to create a better tomorrow—a tomorrow where all people affected by mental illness can experience hope, recovery and wellness in a world free of stigma. Please see the flier above and us the QR Code to acess more information. We belive this can be a powerful resource to our worship community. Be encouraged!
FAITHFUL GIVING
We want to say thank you for your giving and partnership.  YOUR GIVING MATTERS! Your faithful giving allows us to increasingly do the work of ministry for our members AND to everyone the Lord sends to us and sends us to.   Let’s keep giving to make Friendship a productive church!  You may give HERE.

General Church things to remember:
  • 2024 CHURCH THEME:
     Advancing and Expanding... for God's Glory Alone
     Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV

  • OCTOBER PRAYER FOCUS:
     Embracing the Unity in Christ
     Col.2:2-3; James 3:17; 1 Cor 1:30; James 1:5; Prov.2:6

  • BIBLE READING
We invite everyone to consider reading God’s Word this year! As of today, you have 88 days to complete a Bible reading plan, including today. At Friendship, we encourage every member to read one of six Bible reading plans in the year. Consider joining a Bible-reading small group that will be starting soon! The plans include:
✔ The entire Bible,
✔ The Pentateuch (or the first five books of the Old Testament),
✔ The entire Old Testament,
✔ The Gospels (or the first four books of the New Testament),
✔ The entire New Testament, and
✔ Psalms and Proverbs (3 times)

  • WEEKLY HEALTH WALK 
Remember,  Health Care Ministry is sponsoring a weekly Health Walk every Saturday  from 7:00 am to 7:35 am led by Rev. Aubrey Craig and Sister Sandra Jones. This is a 30-minute walk. The walking group will meet on the corner of Bastanchury Road and Rose Drive.  If you want to participate, show up with water and energy snacks. Water and snacks will not be provided. For more information, please call Sister Sandra Jones at  909-438-7217.

  • IN-PERSON EX-HOUR: 
We invite you to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend EX-Hour in person. Remember, we have two adult classes meeting in person on campus and a Young Adult Class. They meet as follows:

  • Adult Class One (Sanctuary): The team teaching in the Sanctuary includes Lady Karima Curry, Pamela Jones, Deacon Demetrius Linebarger, Melanie Porter, Vivian Randolph, & Deacon James Shelby
  • Adult Class Two (Carrington Building Room 217): The team teaching in the Carrington Building Room 217 includes Le Shon Archer, Deacon Rick Archer, Karen Ammons, Gwen Matthews, and Carl Randolph.
  • Young Adults Class (Carrington Building Rooms 207-208): This class is designed for those aged 18-35.
  • VIRTUAL EX HOUR: Virtual Ex-Hour meets weekly on Sundays via ZOOM. Join us for class at 10:00 am via this link HERE.
  • YOUTH EX HOUR: Our in-person youth EX-Hour takes place during our designated EX Hour time in the Multipurpose Building. Parents, please encourage your students to join youth teachers for this biblically fun opportunity to learn God’s Word, connect with others, and grow.
  • CHILDREN’S EX-HOUR: As stated in previous weeks, our Children’s EX-Hour is back and meets on Sundays at 10am in the Multipurpose Building. Parents, please note you must check in and check out your children weekly for Ex-Hour. 
  • MOMMIES WITH BABIES: We have our Mommies with Babies class simultaneously during EX-Hour in the Multipurpose Building. Mommies with two years old and younger children are invited to this EX-HOUR class and are encouraged to bring their children with them! Come for encouragement, community, and growth! Amen!

  • WEDNESDAY Prayer Day: Join us each Wednesday for Prayer. We pray at 6:30 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:30 pm. To connect with our prayer services, please follow this link HERE or dial in at +1 (413) 418-4274 and use the PIN 287683504#.

  • Friendship FOOD BANK OPEN: The Friendship Food Bank is OPEN with a new drive-thru system where our clients will receive a pre-packaged food box and a bag of groceries.  The Food Bank’s hours of operation are Tuesday - Thursday, 2:30 pm-4:30 pm.  

Friendship, as always, there’s so much happening in our church and community, and I’m excited about the opportunities we have to serve, learn, and grow together. For more information on all these announcements, please refer to the written version of this week’s update. You’ll find specific details, event dates, sign-up links, and more.

Thank you, Friendship, and God bless you!
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lK6ri-mjKfB2sIhmcqg2Hi5NyudCSRNzgARr3Mf2K6eUJbquKsJKTjRH8bwIsoC_hqMxDcBGgvz_iM-bLMT8GRoG7ZyW8HAgJwXEgcNgXaSzgCXTwPnItGvBjZf7eqWKVIIalN7w
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor

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